What’s Africa? It is mega-cities choking on traffic, and the dew shimmering in a village dawn. It will take your breath away as you cling to the back of a motorcycle driver zipping and weaving along a chaotic roadway. And restore your spirit when in all that cacophony you notice an infant in soundest sleep on her mother’s back. Everywhere Africa is noise -- evangelicals singing, huge speakers in bars thumping, muezzins calling, horns blaring. And it’s also countryside so quiet in the mid-day sun that you can hear the faintest cowbell a mile away. Always it is women and men laughing. And always it is in your face.
Africa is the cherished home of almost one billion people, or one-seventh of the world’s population. They speak more than 2000 languages and hold citizenship in about fifty-five nations -- more than one-quarter of the member states of the United Nations. This diversity and intense energy is what students encounter in the African studies track. Courses that count towards the track cover all periods of African history, examine African politics, and introduce the cultures and artistic expression of Africans through courses in anthropology, art history, literature and dance. Recently, African studies faculty have developed a new strength by teaching about health, healing and the history of epidemic in Africa, and do so in ways that are intended to benefit students preparing for careers in global health, medicine and the health sciences. In addition, courses place Africa in the broader context of world history, global politics and comparative literature. For example, they highlight Africa’s contribution to struggles for social justice and human rights. Our African Studies instructors have rich personal experience in Africa and strive to share it with their students.
Examples of post-graduation opportunities for International Studies graduates who have completed the African studies track include:
- Refugee Health Coordinator - Iowa Department of Public Health (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Fund Development Coordinator - Rotary International (Chicago, Illinois)
- Program Manager, Food, Health & Well-Being Team - W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
- Case Worker Assistant, Health & Wellness Division - International Rescue Committee (Abilene, Texas)
- Program Associate - PYXERA Global (Washington DC)
- HIV/AIDS and Community Health Education Volunteer - Peace Corps (Swaziland)
- Dual Masters program in public health and social work (University of Minnesota)
- MD (medical doctor) program (University of Wisconsin)
World Language Study
The languages offered at the University of Iowa which are most useful for the study of Africa are Kiswahili (for East Africa, particularly Kenya and Tanzania), Arabic (for North Africa), French (for many nations of West, Central and North Africa such as the D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Morocco and Tunisia), and Portuguese (for Mozambique, Angola and Guinea-Bissau). For more information on options for world language study at the University of Iowa, students may contact the Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Track Requirements
The African studies track requires a minimum of 18 s.h. of coursework, including at least 12 s.h. earned in courses numbered 2000 or above. Students may not count their foundation courses toward track requirements.